José Maria de Fonseca

José Maria de Fonseca

José Maria de Fonseca
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Jose Maria da Fonseca is one of Portugal's largest and most prestigious wine companies, begun in 1834 and run with undiminished passion since that date by the same family. The winery is in the charming village of Vila Nogueira de Azeitao, where visitors are welcome to tour the museum and cellars where many of Fonseca's wines are aged, including Periquita, Portugal oldest red wine. Another must-see is the Setubal Moscatel cellar, in which wines as old as the company itself slumber in their hallowed and tranquil vault. These Moscatels belong to the private collection of the Soares Franco family, of whom the sixth generation now heads the company. The tour ends with a wine tasting. At the Wine Shop you may buy that special wine or gourmet regional product for a friend.Tours occurs everyday from 10.00am to 12.00, and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • jeanmarie r
    Long Island, New York26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent tour and tasting!
    The history of this winery as told by Rafael was so informative. Rafael is a terrific and knowledgeable tour guide. We had a lot of fun with him while also learning so much. Our wine tasting was well organized and wine was fabulous! Thank you for making our trip to Portugal so memorable!
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written August 9, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 30, 2024
  • Marrin13152
    Skaneateles, New York2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A most delightful vineyard experience
    My daughter and I had a superb English tour today. The grounds are stunning, the history and family lore are incredible and the wine is amazing! But the experience was elevated to an unexpectedly high level by our tour guide, Patricia. Her brilliant story telling captivated her audience. She deftly fielded all questions and created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We’ll be back!
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written August 9, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 4, 2024
  • Mara L
    Lagos, Portugal4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    House full of history...and good wine
    We went in couple, guided tour with proof of mosquitoes from the private collection. We booked shortly in advance but we got time. Right in the first contact we were well received, the sympathy abundant in this house and the explanations and history revealed by the office that received us were very explicit. House full of history, and good wine! We loved the visit.
    Cara Mara, Muito obrigada pelo tempo que dispensou para escrever este comentário sobre a sua visita à Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Agradecemos as suas palavras. Foi um prazer recebê-los e dar a conhecer esta adega e vinhos únicos. Esperamos recebê-los numa próxima oportunidade! Até breve! Equipa da Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca
    Written August 23, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 21, 2024
  • K L
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place for an intimate tour, tasting, and overall good time
    The vineyard history and tour was amazing. Great location near Casa das Tortas. The vinyard was beautiful and our tour guide was well versed on the history of the family and wine. Really enjoyed thw wine as well. The tasting gave us a great sample of their wine which was available to order and ship to the states for free on promo.
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! Best regards. José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written August 23, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 21, 2024
  • pati75
    Oviedo, Spain106 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Grata Surprise
    We took a guided tour of this winery and it was quite an experience. Since there was no visit in Castellano until the afternoon and we went in the morning, we were offered to do it in English or Portuguese, we opted for the latter and the explanations of the whole visit we understood perfectly, because our Guide was very good. The winery and its history surprised us very pleasantly, and the tasting of 4 of its wines was also very good. They have a shop too so they can take your wines home. Highly recommended
    Estimado cliente, Muchas gracias por tomarse el tiempo de escribir este comentario sobre tu visita a la Casa Museo José Maria da Fonseca. Agradecemos sus palabras. Fue un placer recibirlos y compartir la historia de nuestra bodega y vinos únicos. ¡Esperamos darle la bienvenida en la próxima oportunidad y que desfruten de las opciones de gastronomía tambien! ¡Hasta pronto! Equipo Casa Museo José Maria da Fonseca
    Written September 18, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 5, 2024
  • RAG386
    Bangor, United Kingdom20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful and delightful wine tasting experience
    We went here as part of a tour from a cruise ship in Lisbon. This is the best wine tour I have experienced (and I have been on a few!). Our guide Rafael was so good and explained everything in such a captivating and enjoyable way. I even loved the history side of things and he tied it all in with the actual wine making beautifully. The wine from here is so good and at great prices. I bought two to take home and intend to order more to get shipped to me. So if you like wine and want a top class tour please go to this delightful place with wonderful guides and of course top class wine.
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written October 24, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 21, 2024
  • Claire L
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent - recommend!
    We were a group of 15 people (colleagues), and had a great time. Rafael our guide was perfect: very good explanations both technical and historical with many interesting anecdotes. And the place is really beautiful. Thanks for the good time. And we ate at the family restaurant the Wine Corner: absolutely excellent, typical Portuguese, hearty, delicious
    Cher Client, Merci beaucoup d'avoir pris le temps d'écrire ce commentaire à propos de votre visite à José Maria da Fonseca vivicole. Nous apprécions vos commentaire. Ce fut un plaisir de vous accueillir et de faire connaître ce domaine et ses vins uniques. Nous espérons vous accueillir à la prochaine occasion! À bientôt! Équipe José Maria da Fonseca
    Written December 13, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled on business
    Written November 17, 2024
  • Anna M
    Vaasa, Finland35 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect tour and tasting
    Truly amazing! Our guide Patricia explained everything in detail, we had so much fun and learned so much about winemaking, especially moscatel wine. We saw the museum, the garden, the wine cellar and everything was amazing! At the end of the tour we had a tasting of 6 wines, we also had cheeses and sausages with the wines! Everything was really good, the moscatel wines were the best! We bought a few wines to bring home the taste memory aswell! Definetly worth a visit!
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written December 13, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 23, 2024
  • The Blue Duck
    221 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting tour and good tasting.
    Jose Maria da Fonseca is the oldest of the wineries founded in 1834 and is still run by the 7th generation of the family. The family’s private collection includes some really old wines. Particularly enjoyed the storey of the wines that travelled the world and then returned because they could not sell (Torna Viagem) and were discovered to be more complex and aged than the ones that remained in the cellar. The price of the tastings is not cheap, however you can add on tastings of a range of wines from a machine in the shop where the tastings take place for instance adding in a 40 year old muscatels to compare with the 20 year old. Nice opportunity, though the machine only delivers quite a small sample. Lunch in the Jose Maria da Fonseca owned Wine Corner restaurant was excellent. The restaurant also sells wine at shop price and has some of the really rare bottles available by the glass.
    Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
    Written January 7, 2025
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 1, 2025
  • Amanda Dornelas
    Rio de Janeiro, RJ2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing
    We were very well served, in the care and booking of the visit by WhatsApp made by Leonor. And especially by the guide, Matilde, who was wonderful explained everything very well and was super attentive from beginning to end. The visit is enriching, and all the environments are beautiful. Super worth it. I recommend closed eyes. Note a thousand.
    Caro cliente, Muito obrigada pelo tempo que dispensou para escrever este comentário sobre a sua visita à Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Agradecemos as suas palavras. Foi um prazer recebê-los e dar a conhecer esta adega e vinhos únicos. Esperamos recebê-los numa próxima oportunidade! Até breve! Equipa da Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca
    Written January 7, 2025
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2025
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 6, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles393 reviews
Excellent
223
Very good
125
Average
28
Poor
9
Terrible
8

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Chris & Kim
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
My husband & I visited the Jose Maria de Fonseca winery as part of an organized tour. We were delighted with the experience. Were greeted by a lovely, engaging winery employee who provided a detailed yet succinct historical overview of the family/winery, grapes utilized, and overall process. Information was imparted by the guide with lighthearted humor & sincerity. One gathered that she (so sorry believe name to be Anna) had great admiration for the family & the vineyard's standing in the world of Portuguese wines. Her eyes twinkled when she spoke about the Fonsecas & the making of a very, very special reserve Moscatel. Lovely grounds, impressive aging barrels, and a comfortable tasting room.
Written June 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear kimberlypA5134KN, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words and will pass your feedback to our guide Ana :). It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
Written July 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rogerio Santos
Cuiaba, MT1,375 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
I was at the JMF winery with my wife. We pre-schedule the guided tour in Portuguese followed by the Tasting of 6 Premium Wines accompanied by board n2 for 2 people.
The selected program has an estimated duration of around 1h 30m. Price per Person: €32
We had an “exclusive” visit led by Maria. This way we know the entire history of the winery, whose main wine is the well-known “Periquita”.
At the end we carried out the wine tasting with a very brief accommodation from Maria.
It was worth getting to know the winery and the history. I noticed that the prices at this winery are a little higher than other wineries.
In any case, congratulations. Unique experience!
Google
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caro cliente, Muito obrigada pelo tempo que dispensou para escrever este comentário sobre a sua visita à Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Agradecemos as suas palavras. Foi um prazer recebê-los e dar a conhecer esta adega e vinhos únicos. Vamos passar o seu feedback à nossa guia Maria :) Esperamos recebê-los numa próxima oportunidade! Até breve! Equipa da Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca
Written September 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Linda Y
Frisco, TX5,693 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
The sixth generation of the Soares Franco family now heads the winery founded in 1834 by José Maria de Fonseca. Garnering numerous wine awards and medals in almost 200 hundred years of winemaking, they are currently the oldest producer of table wine and Moscatel de Setúbal in Portugal. We visited as part of a Gray Line tour that included Evora. A wine tour and tasting were the perfect ending to the day! Our wine host provided an informative introduction to the winery, where we toured the museum and wine cellars, including the Moscatel cellar that contains the family’s private collection. The tour finished with a tasting in the beautiful gardens. It was our first time trying Periquita and Setubal Moscatel, and we enjoyed them both. The charming villages of Azeitano make for a great day trip from Lisbon.
Written November 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Linda Y, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
Written January 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

sorlacpub
Paris, France32 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
The quality of the baths and the quality of the wine have clearly declined in recent years. Furthermore, the prices in the store are more expensive than at the Intermarché located 5 minutes walk from the store. Scandal ! I think it is time for this company which produced quality and good products to pull itself together and respect its customers again. Positioning yourself in a purely tourist niche to make easy money is not a long-term strategy for a house like this.
Google
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chère sorlacpub, Nous vous remercions d'avoir pris le temps d'écrire ce commentaire sur votre visite à la Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Nous regrettons l'expérience que vous avez vécue et vos commentaires. Si possible, nous vous serions reconnaissants de nous envoyer un e-mail (enoturismo@jmfonseca.pt) avec une description plus détaillée de votre réclamation. Nous sommes désolés et attendons vos nouvelles. À bientôt ! L'équipe de la cave José Maria da Fonseca
Written September 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bitsnedker
Fredericia, Denmark1,733 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Family
The tour of the winery "Casa-Museu José Maria da Fonseca" can therefore be recommended..! Our tour guide João was trained as a historian, so he could draw many historical threads - fantastic! We bought a tour with wine tasting - we recommend the place 🍷😊
Google
Written September 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kære kunde, Mange tak, fordi du tog dig tid til at skrive denne anmeldelse af dit besøg i Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Vi sætter pris på dine ord. Det var en fornøjelse at byde dig velkommen og lære denne vingård og dens unikke vine at kende. Vi ser frem til at byde dig velkommen næste gang! Vi ses snart igen! Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca-holdet
Written September 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Fabio TG
Campinas, SP267 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
Very interesting the history of this vineyard. Worth the walk. Good wines. I just didn't like the tasting where he explains all the wines for, just after, to taste. We end up not remembering all the details of the wines. The ideal is to explain and taste the wine, one at a time.
Automatically translated
Written January 18, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caro cliente, Muito obrigada pelo tempo que dispensou para escrever este comentário sobre a sua visita à Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca. Agradecemos as suas palavras. Foi um prazer recebê-los e dar a conhecer esta adega e vinhos únicos. Mais informamos que iremos continuar a trabalhar para melhorar ainda mais as nossas experiências. Esperamos recebê-los numa próxima oportunidade! Até breve! Equipa da Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca
Written January 28, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

westie23
Milford on Sea, UK468 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Visited an a very cold, foggy day so not ideal. The guide was very informative and talked us through the history of the vineyard. This was followed by a walk through the gardens and then a tour of the cellars. It was very cold and walking is a bit tricky if you have a walking disability (steep steps to garden and cellars darkly lit). The shop has really good value tasty wines on sale and you are given 2 complimentary wines to taste if on a tour. Small when compared to many vineyards in France but interesting nonetheless and located in a pretty village between Lisbon and Setubal.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. Regarding the tasting we have several options from 2 to 6 wines, premium or super premium wines and also some gastronomy options clients can add. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
Written August 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gordon B
London, UK1,919 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
When I was last in Lisbon it was 1970 and my parents brought us to this vineyard. My father bought a bottle of the superior wine from 1935 and I now own this bottle so I had to visit once again.
The tour is very informative and it was great to hear the story and see the barrels of wine that I may not have fully appreciated in 1970.
I do remember the large mahogany barrels and they were the same size as in my memory.
The tasting of two wines was enjoyable and I did buy some bottles.
The tour does not visit any vineyards and I knew that.
There were some young children on the tour. I personally would not bring young children on this tour.
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear 143GordonB, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and make known this winery and unique wines. We also loved to know that we are "part" of your family history and memories! We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
Written January 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tonyingles
Setubal, Portugal121 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
So good we had to have a second visit. We took our visiting family for the wine tour and premium tasting. Once again, we were fortunate enough to have Rafael as our guide through the family's history, organisation and the different wine/Moscatel methods - from vine to bottle. He is highly knowledgeable on all aspects of wine production - it is not a dry talk but an exciting and captivating tour. The tasting session after the tour was enjoyable and an excellent experience. I can fully understand why this is the number one tour in Azeitao.
Written October 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Client, Thank you for taking the time to write this review about your visit to José Maria da Fonseca Winery. We appreciate your words. It was a pleasure to welcome you and your family and make known this winery and unique wines. We hope to see you soon! José Maria da Fonseca Winery Team
Written August 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Anne
Berlin, Germany1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
We spontaneously stopped in the wine corner for a small snack and the friendly staff member offered to book us a tour of the neighboring winery. We had another fantastic meal there in the evening! Thank you very much
Google
Written August 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sehr geehrter Kunde, vielen Dank, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, diese Bewertung über Ihren Besuch im Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca zu schreiben. Wir schätzen Ihre Worte sehr. Es war uns eine Freude, Sie zu empfangen und dieses Weingut und seine einzigartigen Weine kennen zu lernen. Wir freuen uns darauf, Sie beim nächsten Mal wieder begrüßen zu dürfen! Auf baldiges Wiedersehen! Das Team von Casa Museu José Maria da Fonseca
Written September 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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José Maria de Fonseca - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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